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Wednesday, 8 July 2015

Potato
chips are an inexpensive, tasty and easily available snack that not only
satisfies our hunger pangs, but also tickle our taste buds. In a chaotic and
busy day, potato chips are an easy to grab snack. But the damage they make to
our body may not be worth the pleasure.

Potato
chips are one of the greatest contributor to weight gain, having a stronger
effect on weight gain than consumption of potatoes and soft drinks. Owing to
their taste appeal, it is a common practice to over eat them and the ultimate
consequence is obesity, which itself is a root cause of many other diseases.
These potatoes are deep fried by the manufacturers in oils or fats which add
calories to the product, which may increase the risk of gaining weight.
Increasing the weight may increase the risk of obesity and insulin resistance,
conditions where the cells do not respond to insulin.

These
chips also contain a substantial amount of salt. Thus they may cause serious
health issues like hypertension, acute rise in blood pressure leading to stoke,
coronary heart disease and kidney disease. Even plain potato chips contain 170
to 185 milligrams of sodium per ounce. Though enjoying an occasional handful of
chips probably will not cause a serious damage, one should abstain from
overeating.

While
the potato chips are tough to beat in terms of their taste, the high amounts of
saturated and trans-fat (an ingredient that's not friendly to balanced diets)
can contribute to obesity, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and
diabetes. People who consumed high levels of trans-fat were found to have
weight problems, liver failure, infertility (for women) and higher risks of
depression compared to the non-consumers.

Moreover,
the potato chips contain artificial flavors which are simply chemical mixtures
that mimic a natural flavor in some way. They are created in a lab and the
formulations are trade secrets. Also the artificial colors used in making
potato chips which make them more attractive and appetizing, might
detrimentally affect our health, especially that of children.

Additionally
the potato chips contain Calcium propionate which is the calcium salt of
propionic acid. E282 or calcium propionate is often used as a preservative in a
wide variety of foods (usually baked foods), but many manufacturers also use it
in potato chips. It is usually acts as an antimicrobial, mainly against the
fungi. According to the Pesticide Action Network North America, calcium
propionate is slightly toxic. A study conducted in 2002 established the direct
link between E282 and irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep
disturbance (mainly in children). Other
side effects observed are migraines, headaches and stomach ulcers etc.

Overall,
the dark side of consuming these cheap and easy to find snacks should not be
ignored as occasional intake of potato chips might not cause irreversible
damage but the real dangers arise when one consumes potato chips on a daily
basis or regularly choose them over other healthier and better options.